ISS Expedition 28 - Progress 44 M-12M Launch Failure - August 24, 2011

The ISS Progress 44 spacecraft and nearly 3 tons of supplies for the International Space Station were lost Wednesday when the launch vehicle experienced a failure during the climb to orbit.

The launch took place as scheduled at 9 a.m. EDT Wednesday from Baikonur Cosmodrome (7 p.m. Baikonur time). However, Mission Control Moscow reported communication with the Progress 44 was lost 5 minutes, 50 seconds after its launch.

"At 1300 (GMT), we lifted off, following 320 seconds of flight there was a failure in the upper stage of the launch vehicle. We lost comm(unications) after a while with the launch vehicle and we did not report stage separation," said Maxim Matuchen, the head of the Russian Mission Control Center.

International Space Station Program Manager Michael Suffredini held a news conference at the Johnson Space Center discussing the loss of the resupply vehicle and the impact it may have on the program and the crew. There are plenty of supplies to support the crew, and the station is in a good configuration. However, a Russian commission will be formed to investigate the root cause of the vehicle loss which may affect upcoming Russian spacecraft launches.

The Expedition 28 crew continued to prepare for the planned departure of three crew members, although the exact date of that upcoming departure is being reviewed following today's Progress loss, and continued with science activities.

Commander Andrey Borisenko and Flight Engineers Alexander Samokutyaev and Ron Garan prepared for their scheduled departure on Sept. 7. They stowed gear on the Soyuz vehicle in which they will return to Earth. Mission managers are discussing the possibility of extending their stay on orbit to maintain six-person crew operations on the station as options for the launch of the next three crew members, including NASA's Dan Burbank, are considered.

Borisenko and Samokutyaev also donned lower body negative pressure suits that draw body fluids towards the feet. This is standard protocol for cosmonauts preparing to return to Earth after long duration missions in space. Garan gathered personal items and clothing for stowage and disposal.

Flight Engineer Mike Fossum stowed hardware from SHERE, or the Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment, after the completion of last week's experiment runs. SHERE investigates the stress and strain response of a polymer fluid being stretched in microgravity. Fossum also cleaned up storage containers which hold experiment samples inside a science freezer.

Flight Engineer Sergei Volkov set up hardware for the RUSALKA experiment. Utilizing a camera and spectrum analyzer RUSALKA is testing procedures that will measure levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the Earth's atmosphere.

Flight Engineer and Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa collected water samples from the Potable Water Dispenser for in-flight processing and analysis. The water will be tested for microbe and coliform detection using tools from the Environmental Health System.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• ISS
• Progress
• Soyuz
• Progress 44
• rocket
• launch
• failed
• failure
• explosion
• crash
• reenter
• space
• station
• NASA
• Russia
• spaceflight
• exploration

[blastforyou]

@vulpixgrant I didn't intend for my comment to be taken 100% seriously and was meant to be humorous but as you are a android this human aspect was not programed into you it went over your head . If you carefully read I wasn't knocking the Russian system because it does have better record and I did say a truckload of vodka and not just one bottle necessary to wreak havoc on their program.

[vulpixgrant]

@blastforyou - The Soyuz Rocket system is the worlds most reliable space vehicle every used period. They have been using them since the 60's and with a near perfect safety success. This is very rare to have these rockets fail. I live in Florida born and raised, I cried with the Shuttles were retired. I was at K.S.C. and saw the Atlantis on the ground before going in her hanger on the bus tour. Great vehicles to, but far less reliable then the tiny soyuz.

[xdaemoon]

Made in USA assembled in China.......

[hawker445]

@blastforyou A little cocky much?Maybe you should do more research before you run your mouth off at the russians. They have been running Their soyuz missions have been running to the ISS for almost more than 10 years now.

[blastforyou]

Immediately after the shuttle program shuts down this happens do you think mere coincidence or is some group at nasa bribing russian as this will put pressure to keep nasa shuttle going and private contractors swimming in money. Could be as simple as sending them a truck load of vodka and a card with note " dear russian friends no hard feelings here is much vodka for you to celebrate" and about one month later when all russian program is in ruins and workers in jail nasa will have to take over.

[SpanishThug]

Where Did It Go?

[Rg2732]

Ouch! First Progress failure, and it had to be after the shuttle retirement. :/